They're outselling microwaves - but which steam cookers are really hot stuff? Our crafty cook puts them to the test...

Sales of steam cookers at John Lewis have almost doubled since last year, overtaking microwaves. And forget the clunky models of old — there are digital table-top steamers as well as steam ovens, which all help cook food more healthily. ANNE SHOOTER gives her verdict on the best options...

PROS: This has room for plenty of food — enough for dinner for four. The three large sections stack away easily inside each other so as not to take up too much cupboard space and all the non-electrical parts can be put in the dishwasher.

Top marks: Anne with her favourite Magimix Steamer

It’s easy to fill with water while in use as the reservoir has a water level indicator and you can use the inlet to top it up.

When I tested it, the food — particularly salmon — was cooked perfectly. There’s also a useful ‘keep warm’ function.

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CONS: The instructions were not easy to follow. It became clear during use that if you put salmon on the shelf above the vegetables, you won’t be able to remove the veg easily if they are cooked first. Also, the salmon drips onto the vegetables, making them taste fishy — not nice.

Magimix 11578 Steamer (£149.95, John Lewis): 5/5

PROS: This is a tank of a steamer — a cross between the plastic versions and a proper steam oven. Made of stainless steel, the bottoms of the baskets are removable so you can steam a whole chicken. I did this with huge success. My chicken (stuffed with herbs and lemon) was tender, juicy and delicious. There are pre-set cooking programmes including 100c for meat and vegetables and 80c for fish — the salmon was flaky and moist.

Both the James Martin Steamer, left, and The Magimix 11578 Steamer, right, cooked salmon to perfection

You can even use the 40c setting to make yoghurt overnight.

The recipe book makes it clear you should add different ingredients at different times to make sure your meal is ready at the same time.

CONS: It is expensive, bulky and not as easy to clean as the plastic steamers, but great quality. On the whole, an excellent buy.

PROS: The thing I love about this is that you can cook different elements side by side rather than on top of each other.

This eliminates concerns about food dripping down or having to remove one level to check on the one below.

Plus it had preset times for fish, eggs and meat, which makes everything easy. Simple to clean in the dishwasher.

CONS: Preset times were not accurate enough — my vegetables were over-cooked.

It’s also expensive compared with similar steamers.

Jamie Oliver offering: Easy to use

Jamie Oliver Phillips (£69.95, John Lewis, amazon.co.uk): 3/5

PROS: This is a great size and extremely simple to use. The results were rather good, too. Plus it comes with some great Jamie recipes — mini orange puddings with chocolate sauce, steamed nicoise salad (not sure I like the idea of steamed tuna, though), wontons and a sea bass and fennel dish.

It is non-stick, with removable basket bases for larger items.

CONS: It looks like a toy so I wouldn’t want it permanently on my work surface. Even the cord and plug are turquoise. And it has a dial rather than a digital display.

Lakeland Steamer: Too small for family meals

My Kitchen 2-Tier Steamer (£49.99, lakeland.co.uk): 3/5

PROS: Easy to use, with clear instructions. The food was cooked perfectly. I liked the ‘flavour screen’, which sits above the water tank and holds herbs or spices so the steam can pick up the flavours.

This made chicken breast fillets and salmon taste delicious. Also, if the water runs dry (unlikely as there is enough to steam for an hour) a buzzer goes off and it’s easy to top up. It stacks away so doesn’t take up too much cupboard space.

CONS: Small for a family, but perfect for a couple. Rice took 42 minutes to cook — longer than in a saucepan, which seemed to defeat the object. It also got very hot, so needs to be kept away from children. It’s easy to clean, but not dishwasher-proof.

Tefal: 'Generally good'

Steamer (£54.95, tefal.co.uk): 3/5

PROS: Large enough for a family and it stacks away neatly. An illuminated water gauge shows when it needs filling, but you have to remove the baskets to fill it up so you can’t do it while it’s in use.

It cooked food quickly, though the rice was over-cooked in the time it suggested and the carrots were under-done. The fish and broccoli were perfect, though. Light and easy to move.

CONS: Not having a water-filling chute is irritating, but generally this is a good machine.

Russell Hobbs: Didn't feel that stable

Steamer (£21.99, russellhobbs.co.uk): 2/5

PROS: This is a great price for an electric steamer and it is large with plenty of baskets.

The instructions are clear with warnings about flavours dripping through, while it suggests you use juices that collect at the bottom as gravy — all very useful.

CONS: It didn’t feel terribly stable. It also ticks, which irritated me, and there is no visible water gauge to see if it is running dry. The food on the bottom level cooked very fast, but further up it seemed slow.

The salmon took 20 minutes, twice as long as other steamers.

Miele Steamer: Needs surface space

Freestanding steam oven (£900, miele.co.uk): 4/5

PROS: I have two excellent conventional Miele ovens in my kitchen and this looked smart on my worksurface. It’s easy to use — you fill the reservoir with water, set the timer and off you go. It’s fantastic for reheating food and cooking fish, vegetables and slow-cooked dishes such as a lamb tagine, chicken curry or beef stew.

The temperature can be set from 40C to 100C and the time from one minute to nine hours 59 minutes. It’s not cheap, but if you can afford it I would seriously recommend this.

CONS: It’s too large and heavy to put in a cupboard so you need ample surface space. It’s extremely expensive. Plus, it’s annoyingly that you need to mop the pool of water from the bottom of the oven every time you use it.

Can't I just use a steamer pan on the hob?

You can buy stainless steel steamer baskets, which fit into a standard saucepan, for £4.99. Steamer pans with two or three tiers are much cheaper than table-top steamers — so what’s the difference?

Though cheaper options steam food in the same way, there are drawbacks. First, you must keep checking the pan doesn’t boil dry — electric steamers rarely run out of water and if they do, they beep and you can fill them while they’re still on.

Second, pan steamers don’t have the same capacity. They’re best for cooking vegetables or one or two chicken breasts. Most steam cookers can cook a side of salmon as well as vegetables and rice at the same time in different sections.

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They're outselling microwaves - but which steam cookers are really hot stuff? Our crafty cook puts them to the test...